68 thousand farmers have already been trained in the UPL program in partnership with IAC

The Apply Bem Program, a UPL initiative in partnership with the Agronomic Institute (IAC), celebrates 12 years of innovations in Brazilian agriculture, with the training of more than 68 thousand rural producers on the correct application of pesticides on different crops. The program has already gone beyond the borders of Brazil and is now successfully carried out in Colombia, Mexico, Vietnam, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast.

The model adopted by Aplique Bem for training farmers is unprecedented in Brazil, in addition to the training being offered free of charge. Currently, the program has five itinerant laboratories – called mobile tech. Four of them travel throughout the national territory, while one vehicle is destined exclusively for the so-called fruit circuit in the interior of the State of São Paulo.

“Instead of taking the farmer to a classroom, we take the classroom to him. This model not only increases worker participation but also allows practice to better retain learning. We also do not do classes larger than 20 people to avoid compromising the quality of the content presented”, says doctor in agronomy Hamilton Ramos, scientific researcher at IAC and coordinator of the program.

“It is a provision of services for the farmer. Aplique Bem brings knowledge to the field for better use of technology and rational use of agricultural pesticides, contributing to the production of safe and quality food, optimizing production and reducing costs, in addition to providing greater safety for those who apply it and reducing impacts on the environment environment”, says Liria Hosoe, government affairs and stewardship manager at UPL Brasil.

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The benefits of the Aplique Bem program go beyond the correct application of agricultural pesticides, according to the manager of UPL, which is one of the five largest companies in the world in the field solutions sector.

“A well-trained worker uses protective equipment correctly and applies it properly, with well-regulated equipment. Thus, the entire chain benefits: the farmer saves on product, the health of the workers is preserved, the environment is not affected and the consumer receives quality food in their home”, adds Liria.

Another aspect of Aplique Bem is the adoption and validation of the international standard ISO 16.122 for evaluating the quality of sprayers in use in Brazil. The program was the first to adopt this standard, published in 2015.

“We are very proud to carry out a program that has trained more than 68 thousand people in the field. 12 years have passed since its launch and Aplique Bem continues to play a very important role and, above all, more current than ever. We have been working to make this initiative grow and multiply with the partnership of our clients, including globally”, says Fábio Torretta, president of UPL in Brazil.